Saturday, March 6, 2010

Time for a Little Spring Cleaning

I have decided to keep the XS stock. It was a pretty unmolested bike when I purchased her last fall. And I am having some issues with taking a thirty three year old bike and chopping it up. I know, I know, these bikes do not carry a high collectible value, but they do have a very large and faithful following. So I am going to get this bike in pristine condition and look for a snot rag to build a street tracker out of. I have accumulated most of the pieces for the conversion, so I am half way there. It will not take a whole lot of trouble once I find a suitable donor bike. The weather around here has been improving at a rapid pace and has allowed me to work comfortably out it the garage. So I went to work pulling the bike apart, much to my dismay, when I popped the carbs off, they where dirtier than one of Larry Flynt’s Hustler Clubs. Well a different type of dirty anyway. I am really surprised how well this bike ran at the end of the year with the carbs in this state. I guess this is a testament to the bullet proof reputation of the XS650.Apart from the carbs, the rest of the bike is in pretty nice condition. It won’t take a whole lot of effort to get her to showroom shape. Thanks in large part to this being a two owner bike and spending it’s down time in a garage. All that needs looking after are some odds and ends like the battery holder, air box, cleaning the frame up, and the chain guard. I like my bikes to run like a Swiss Watch, and with older bikes this means keeping all you maintenance and adjustments up to date. All you youngsters out there with your new fangled machinery are missing out on this time honored tradition. (A lot of you anyway, I know there are a few youngins who like pulling your own maintenance) She will need a new pair of shocks, fork springs and oil, new brake pads, etc, etc, etc, I have to get a move on, because I would like to have her on the road by the end of the month. Sitting here and typing this post is not getting anything done faster. So it’s back out to the garage for me, listening to Deep Tracks on the old XM and maybe enjoying a tall cool Budweiser or two.

4 comments:

Hi Gymi - I've just seen you have linked to me on your site. Thanks! And good move keeping the XS as stock. They are a nice bike, and something that has survived in a good state is always worth keeping that way.

No problem Richard, you have a great site there. It is way too nice of a bike to take apart, I just wouldn't feel right about it. Just a bit of polishing here and there and she will be shining like a jewel. I can't wait to get her back on the road.